Arc extinguishing device



Dec. 3, 1935.

X, a J9 A. M L. JACKSON ARC EXTINGUISHING DEVICE Original Filed Dec. 50, 1926 INVENTOR 4; ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,022,962 ARC EXTINGUISHINGD'EVICE Alexander McLeod Jackson, Chicago, 111,215- signor to Locke Insulator-Corporation, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland 9 Claims.= (o1. ifs-=30) This application is a division of my co-pending application for patent for Arc extinguishing device, filed December 30, 1926," and having'Se'rial No. 157,911, and which has matured intd Patent No.1,81'1,984. v

This invention relates to means'ffor extinguishing electric ar cs, ,and more par ticularlyto an arc extinguishing device adapted for use with insulator strings employed on high tension lines, and stacks of insulators employed on high voltage switches, and the like. v

As is known, arcsfollowing flash-overs of high voltages from conductors to ground frequently occur, in spite of all means that are taken to prevent them. These arcs following flash-overs to ground cause interruption to service, and damage to material. Such flash-overs occur in high tension transmission lines when abnormal'or excessively high potential'betwe'en the conductor and ground is relieved by the breaking down of the .air between spaced arcing contacts, one of which is grounded. While this serves to relieve the excessively high tension on the line, serious interruption to transmission and damage to apparatus is apt to result if the are following the flash-over or spill is sustained for an appreciable length of time, as not infrequently happens, and it may be necessary to reduce or in extreme cases take the voltage oif of the line toextinguish the arc. I have found that this objection can be overcome by providing means for immediately extinguishing the are after formation thereof, this means being automatic in its operation and rendered active by the arc itself. While I have illustrated and described my invention as used in connection with the protective apparatus of a transmission line, I do not'intend in any way to limit myself to this one particular use. as my invention can be readilyapplied in various manners and with various apparatuses. It will be understood, therefore, that I contemplate using my invention in numerous other ways than the particular manner herein illustrated and described in detail.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a device of simple and inexpensive construction which can be readily applied to an arcing horn of standard construction. A further object .is to provide a device of this character which will be effective in extinguishing a number of successive arcs without the necessity of renewal or repairing of the device. Another object is to provide an extinguishing device which can be employed by being mounted upon one of the arcing terminals or can be disposed between the terminals and in the path of the arc. Further objects will appear from the detailed description. 1

In the drawing: 7

'Figure l -is,an-elevationof a string of insula- 5 tors and associatedmeans supporting the transmission cable' or conductor, showing arc extinguishing devices appliedin-accordance with my invention, 7

Figure v2 is an enlarged detail view of the terminal portion of.0 ne of the horns and the extinguishing device. w 1

My invention-is illustrated by Way of example, asused in connection with a high tension conductor-J which is supported by suitable securing 15 and clamping means lfromthe lower end of an insulating..-structure 3.,suspended at its upper end from; a=supporting arm 4 extending from a tower .(not shownl suchas is commonly used in supporting high tension transmission lines. A yoke .5 --is mounted at the upper end of the structure 3 and electrically connected to arm 4 so-as to be grounded thereby to the tower, in a known manner. The insulating structure 3 is formed of a string of units or insulators of known construction which areloosely secured together in a known-manner. -,='Ihe yoke} isformed to provide two horns Ewhic'n extend outwardly radially beyond theuppermost insulator of the string :and are inclined downwardly, these mem- U bers forming the present arcing h'orn used in structures of this sort. .An arcing ring 1 is supported-at the lower end of the string of insulators by arms 8 extending from the clamping andsecuring means 2. Instead of a ring I, arcing horns may be employed. Preferably, though not necessarily, this ring is bentnto provide, in effect, two arcing terminals 9 which are disposed in alinement with .the' terminal portionsof the arms or horns 6. The structure so far described 40 is of known construction and I do not claim such construction as my'invention except insofar as it cooperates with the means to be described for extinguishing arcs.

In carryingrout my invention, I employ a fuse 5 i9 mounted in-clips 20. One ofthese clips is secured aboutthe end portion of. horn 6, the other clip being secured about a-tapered. arcing point 2| secured at the lower end of an insulating element 22 which is secured to the outer or lower end of horn 6. The fuse I9 is preferably a Schweitzer and Conrad fuse of the type illustrated in the patent to E. O. Schweitzer and N. J. Conrad, No. 1,135,548, issued April 13, 1915. This fuse includes a tube 23 of glass or other suitable insulating material provided at its ends with terminals (not shown). A fusible element or link is secured at one end to one of the caps or ferrules and is connected at its other end to a tension spring 2 4, theother end of which is se cured to the other end of the fuse structure. .L'A suitable flexible conductor is associatedwlth the spring for conducting the current to the fusible element without subjecting the spring to undesirable heating effect. The tube 23..is filled wlth carbon tetrachloride, or similar extinguishing liquid, and when the fusible element or'link is fused by the heat of the current passing through the same, the spring retracts so as 'to separate the arcing terminals drawing the arc in the liquid which acts to quickly extinguish it. Attention should be paid to thefact 'that use is. made of a plurality of the arc extinguishers, the

feature being that in the event of blowing of one.

I have made adequate provision for the' protection of insulators against interruptions to service.

' While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exempllfication of the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all such changes in the details of construction as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no departure from the spirit of theinventionor the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

7 1. Means for extinguishing an are which might occur between a plurality of metallic elements and a metallic member comprising are extinguishlng fuses mounted on said metallic elements and arranged with their ends substantially opposite the metallic member, each metallic element having an'extension including an insulating section and'a metal tip, each fuse comprising an insulating tube having a metal cap upon one end secured to the metallic element and further including a conductor embedded in fire extinguishing material and connected with said cap so as to bridge the insulating section and said tip, said conductor being adapted to fuse upon the occurrence of an are between the same and the metallic member whereby the shortest arcover path will then be between the metallic memberand the conductor of another fuse.

2. Means for extinguishing an are which might occur between spaced metallic members comprising a plurality of arc extinguishing fuses mounted on one metallic member and extending toward the other, said one member having an extension including an insulating section and a metal tip, each'fuse embodying an insulating support containing a conductor surrounded by fire extinguishing material, the conductor being electrically connected with the metallic member and the tip bridging the section of insulating material and providing the shortest arc-over distance between the metallic members whereby upon fusing'iof one conductor, the conductors in the other fuses will provide the shortest arc-over distance, thereby providing protection in the event of repeated arc-overs.

3. Means for disrupting an are which might occurbetween electrode means and a plurality of electrode elements comprising arc disrupting fuses carried by and forming extensions of said electrode elements and providing electrical continuity therethrough and projecting toward said electrode -means, said fuses defining the shortest air gaps between saldelectrode elements and said electrode means whereby upon blowing of any of said fuses the remaining ones will still be in series with the shortest gaps between the electrode elements and electrode means."

1. Means for disrupting an arc which might occur between electrode means and a plurality of electrode elements comprising insulating sections formed as extensions of the electrode elements and arc disrupting fuses carried by'said electrode elements andbridging said insulating sections and disposed in series in the shortest air gaps between said electrode elements and said electrode means.

5. Means for disrupting an are which might occur between'electrode' elements and electrode means, comprising insulated terminal tips on said electrode elements, and fusesmechanically and electrically connected with said electrode elements and said tips,said fuses being disposed in the minimum air gaps between said electrodeelements and electrode means.

6. Means for disrupting an are which might occur between electrode elements and electrode means, comprising terminal tips on said electrode elements and electrically insulated therefrom, a fuse supported at one end upon one of the electrode elements and at its other end on the adjacent tip and embodying a conductor connected with the terminal tip and the body of the electrode elementso that the conductor provides electrical continuity, said fuse defining the shortest air gap between the electrode elements and the electrode means.

7. A fuse having two clips, an insulating section carrying an arcing tip which carries one clip, the other clip adapted to be fastened to the end of a standard arcing horn.

8. A fuse attachment for an arcing horn, comprising an insulating section disposed against the end of the horn and carrying a metal tip, a fuse, and means connecting said fuse mechanically and electrically to the horn and said tip.

9. A protective attachment for an arcing horn, comprising a metallic tip, means for insulating said tip from the end of the horn, and a fuse mechanically and electrically connected at its ends with the horn and tip respectively and bridging said insulating means.

ALEXANDER MCLEOD JACKSON. 

